Many stores utilize one or more strategies to entice consumers to patronize their store and/or to gather purchasing data from consumers. For example, many retail stores have a rewards card that may be scanned during the check-out procedure to thereby entitle the shopper to a discount on the current purchase and/or to an allotment of points that may be used for future purchases and/or rewards. Such rewards cards may entice the shopper to shop at a store to obtain discounts and/or points and may also enable a store to gather data concerning that shopper.
Also, for example, many retail stores may utilize advertisements and/or coupons, optionally in combination with the rewards card, to entice consumers to patronize their store. For example, circular ads may tout specials that may be obtained through utilization of the rewards card. Also, for example, coupons may be scanned during the check-out procedure to thereby entitle the shopper to a discount on one or more items they purchase.
Although such strategies may provide enticement for customers to patronize a store and/or may enable for the gathering of purchasing data from consumers, they may have one or more drawbacks and/or may be improved in one or more ways. For example, rewards cards, circular ads, and coupons do not provide a pecuniary benefit to a shopper until during the checkout process. Also, for example, shoppers may not have sufficient motivation to view a circular ad and/or coupon. Also, for example, circular ads and/or coupons may not be tailored to a particular shopper and/or a particular store.
Thus, applicant has recognized and appreciated a need to provide methods and/or apparatus that enable a shopper to utilize a mobile electronic device to check-in to a physical store, while optionally overcoming one or more drawbacks of and/or improving upon previous methods and apparatus.